That Shelf

Sara Paxton

We chat with beloved character actor and Cheap Thrills star Pat Healy about being a part of so many memorable filmgoing experiences, what appeals to him about characters who can never do the right thing, and why the uncomfortable shoot for Cheap Thrills made the film’s tension far more palpable.

Dark, twisted, and emotionally disturbed in ways almost too delightful and clever to spoil, the coal black comedy Cheap Thrills certainly lives up to its name and then some thanks to clever writing and solid performances.

We talk to E.L. Katz, director of the black comedy Cheap Thrills about why he made this is first film as a director, how he second guesses himself more as a writer, why the opening of the film is almost purposefully slow, the art of escalation, how his two leads essentially became method actors, why the set was physically uncomfortable to be on, and what it’s like trying to create “a human cockfight.”

Cheap Thrills Dark, twisted, and emotionally disturbed in ways almost too delightful and clever to spoil, the coal black comedy Cheap Thrills certainly lives up to its name and then some thanks to clever writing and solid performances. Struggling writer and married father Craig (Pat Healy) has just lost his oil changing gig and finds […]

Following an extremely slow DVD release week last week, this week's columnists Andrew Parker and Zack Kotzer take on a marginally less slow week with looks at Steven Soderbergh's Haywire, Ti West's The Innkeepers, and the unnecessary sequel/reimagining The Wicker Tree.

As his first film since The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers is horror director Ti West’s opportunity to show a winning streak, or at least an uncanny corridor. It also happens to be a chance for star Sara Paxton, often cast as that pretty blonde in really forgettable roles, to earn a new start, not unlike West himself.

As his first film since The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers is horror director Ti West’s opportunity to show a winning streak, or at least an uncanny corridor. It also happens to be a chance for star Sara Paxton, often cast as that pretty blonde in really forgettable roles, to earn a new start, not unlike West himself.